Kauai Trip Tips

Flowering Trees of Kaua'i As I drive around my beautiful island of Kaua'i, I am one lucky guy to see the flowering trees everywhere. It is summer here as I write this and the blossoms are exploding. Brisk summer trade winds carry blossoms in the air and the fragrant aroma of Hawaii is ubiquitous. The explosion of colors from trees and perennial plants paints the island in Monet hues and splashes. Here are some of my favorites that you will see when you visit my beautiful Kaua'i. PLUMERIA My favorite tree on the Hawaiian islands is the Plumeria. Its flowers are wonderfully fragrant and are frequently strung into Leis or worn tucked behind the ear so that their perfume can be enjoyed by the wearer. However, once the flower is strung, the blossom will wither quickly, though the fragrance lingers. There are about five different kinds of Plumeria. You will most likely see two as you travel the island. The White with yellow center (Singapore Plumeria) flowers in...

Hamburger hankerin':                  There seems to be no end to the controversy over who invented the hamburger. Not that I dwell on this obscure subject too often, I'm just saying...everyone has a theory. No mater it's origins, the current form of beef patty, bun, lettuce, tomato, onion and maybe pickles is an international favorite. A truly American standard. Just ask the people of Seymore, Wisconsin where you can attend the annual "Burger Fest", claiming one of the possible fathers of the current day hamburger  ( Charlie Nagreen). Doesn't really matter to me who started it, as long as I can get one when I want one. So often as I tool around the island I get one of those hankerings for a good old burger. And though there are few local burger joints on Kaua'i (No White Castles or In-N-Out Burger),  I have found my way to most of them over the years. Today we'll tackle just three of them: The biggest local chain of...

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge I traveled up to the North shore of Kaua'i this week and after some coffee shopping and beaching I ended up at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. We just call it the Kilauea Lighthouse. It's a National Park now dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of seabird nesting colonies. The park is the home of the Daniel K. Inouye Lighthouse. The lighthouse was a navigational aid for commercial shipping between Asia and Hawaii from 1913 to 1976. Today it is restored, and though the lamp can be lit for ceremonial occasions, the 8000 pound lens doesn't rotate. It used to float on 260 pounds of mercury! Guess that was before we became aware of the dangers of that substance. So what is it that brings more than 500,000 visitors annually to this dramatic backdrop of steep cliffs diving into the ocean with breathtaking views...I mean other than that ? Birds, Birds Birds!! This National Wildlife Refuge is one of the...

Kauai Bon Dances 2017: I acquired my traveling bug early on. As a child I was an Army Brat. My family moved so often I attended a dozen schools from 1st grade through High School. One of my favorite places to have landed during those early years was Japan. We were just outside of Tokyo...not the Tokyo you know of today, but the Tokyo shortly after WWII. Still shells of building chared and bombed out, it was an amazing experience for a young boy. One of my most vivid and pleasant memories of Japan was the OBON or Bon Dance season. An amazing whirl of colorful kimonos and dramatic and powerful Taiko Drums filled me with awe. Now years later, I get to relive those boyhood memories right here on Kaua'i. With a high percentage of Asian population on Kaua'i, (31% according to the last census) including; Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, this 500 year old Japanese tradition of honoring spirits of ancestors has been Hawaiianized. Arriving   her...